Pocket rights cards

Remember

• You have the right to remain silent. Say it out loud to use it.
• Stay calm. Keep your hands visible. Never run or resist.
• You can say no to a search: "I don't consent to a search."

What to do

1. 1.Ask: "Am I free to go?" If yes, walk away calmly.
2. 2.If detained: give your name if asked, then say "I want to remain silent. I want a parent and a lawyer."
3. 3.Afterward, write down everything and tell a trusted adult the same day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't argue, lie, or make up a story.
• ✕Don't touch officers or reach suddenly.
• ✕Don't unlock your phone just because you're asked.

Remember

• You keep constitutional rights at school, including expression.
• School searches need a reasonable, specific suspicion.
• Serious discipline requires hearing your side of the story.

What to do

1. 1.Ask calmly: "Can I ask why?" and "What rule is involved?"
2. 2.For a search you disagree with: "I don't consent, but I won't interfere."
3. 3.Write down what happened and tell a parent or trusted adult that day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't physically resist a search.
• ✕Don't sign statements without a parent involved.
• ✕Don't assume rules are the same in every state.

Remember

• You don't have to open the door without a warrant signed by a judge.
• Everyone in the home may remain silent, whatever their status.
• An agency form alone does not allow entry into a home.

What to do

1. 1.Keep the door closed. Ask for any warrant to be shown at the window.
2. 2.Check: judge's signature, correct name and address.
3. 3.Say: "I don't consent to your entry. I choose to remain silent. I want a lawyer." Then call your family's emergency contact.

Avoid

• ✕Don't open the door "just to talk."
• ✕Don't show or sign documents you don't understand.
• ✕Don't run or hide outside the home.

Remember

• Hour limits protect school nights: at 14-15, max 3 hours on a school day.
• Dangerous tasks and machines are off-limits for minors.
• Every hour worked must be paid, whatever your status.

What to do

1. 1.Check your state's rules at youthrules.dol.gov.
2. 2.Raise problems kindly, in writing, citing the rule.
3. 3.Keep your own record of shifts and pay stubs.

Avoid

• ✕Don't work hours you know are illegal to "help out."
• ✕Don't operate equipment you weren't legally assigned.
• ✕Don't accept "off the clock" work.

Remember

• Peaceful expression is protected: spoken, worn, written, posted.
• Schools can act on real disruption, threats, or harassment, not disagreement.
• Off campus, on your own time, school authority shrinks a lot.

What to do

1. 1.Know your school's code of conduct before a big statement.
2. 2.Choose times and places that don't disrupt class.
3. 3.If punished for a viewpoint, save evidence and ask for the rule in writing.

Avoid

• ✕Avoid threats, targeting people, or harassment; those are never protected.
• ✕Don't delete your own evidence.

Remember

• Screenshots outlive deletes. Post like they're guaranteed.
• School devices follow school rules; your phone has stronger protection.
• No one may pressure you for private photos. Ever.

What to do

1. 1.Use long passphrases and two-factor login; share passwords with no one.
2. 2.For harassment: screenshot, report, block, and tell a trusted adult.
3. 3.If someone threatens to share images of you: stop responding, save evidence, get adult help, and use takeitdown.ncmec.org.

Avoid

• ✕Don't negotiate with anyone threatening you online.
• ✕Don't handle sextortion alone; it's a crime against you.

Remember

• Sidewalks and parks give peaceful protest its strongest protection.
• Walkouts can cost a normal absence; after-school protest costs nothing.
• Follow lawful dispersal orders; the campaign continues afterward.

What to do

1. 1.Memorize an emergency contact and set a meeting point.
2. 2.Bring water, ID if you have one, and a charged phone.
3. 3.Stay peaceful, keep exits clear, document openly where legal.

Avoid

• ✕Don't block doors, streets, or highways without a permit.
• ✕Don't engage counter-protesters; walk away.

Remember

• Schools must respond to harassment based on race, origin, sex, religion, or disability.
• Words and online conduct count, not just physical acts.
• Retaliation against people who report is prohibited.

What to do

1. 1.Keep a dated log: what happened, exact words, witnesses, screenshots.
2. 2.Report in writing to a counselor or administrator; keep copies.
3. 3.If the school won't act, file a free complaint at ed.gov/ocr.

Avoid

• ✕Don't respond in kind; it muddies the record.
• ✕Don't keep it to yourself; patterns need witnesses.

Remember

• Asking for help is using your rights, not weakness.
• Free hotlines answer 24/7 and don't require an adult's permission.
• If the first adult doesn't help, ask the next one.

What to do

1. 1.In danger right now: call 911.
2. 2.Heavy feelings: call or text 988 (English/Spanish), any hour.
3. 3.Legal questions: find free legal aid at lawhelp.org.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait for a crisis to identify your trusted adults.
• ✕Don't assume help costs money; these services are free.

Remember

• Licence, registration, and insurance are usually required. Answers usually are not.
• Say where you are reaching before you reach for anything.
• Consent to a search is your choice. You can say no.

What to do

1. 1.Pull over somewhere safe, engine off, interior light on at night.
2. 2.Hands on the wheel. Ask before opening the glove box or a pocket.
3. 3.If asked to search: "I don't consent to a search." Say it once, calmly.
4. 4.Write down the time, place, officer name, and badge number the same day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't argue at the roadside. Disagreements get resolved later, not there.
• ✕Never physically interfere with a search, even one you object to.

Remember

• Not qualifying for an IEP does not mean not qualifying for a 504 plan.
• A written, dated request starts the timelines the school must meet.
• A parent or guardian usually holds these rights until you turn eighteen.

What to do

1. 1.Email the school. Name the student, the difficulty, and ask for an evaluation.
2. 2.Ask for a written response, and keep your own copy of everything.
3. 3.Ask who the school's 504 coordinator or special education contact is.

Avoid

• ✕Don't rely on a verbal request. Undocumented conversations start no clock.
• ✕Don't accept a refusal without asking for it in writing.

Remember

• Staying with someone else after losing housing counts, not only shelters.
• You can enroll right away without proof of address or old school records.
• You can usually stay at your original school, with transportation provided.

What to do

1. 1.Ask the school office for "the McKinney-Vento liaison" by that name.
2. 2.Say you need help enrolling or staying at your school of origin.
3. 3.If refused, ask for the refusal in writing and how to appeal.

Avoid

• ✕Don't stop attending while a dispute is being sorted out. You stay enrolled.
• ✕Don't assume you need a parent present. Unaccompanied youth can enroll themselves.

Remember

• Contracts signed by minors are usually voidable by the minor, with exceptions.
• An adult who co-signs is normally fully responsible, whatever you do.
• Wages you earn from a job are generally yours.

What to do

1. 1.Find the cancellation steps before you start a free trial, not after.
2. 2.Set a reminder two days before any trial ends.
3. 3.Screenshot the price, the renewal terms, and the date you agreed.

Avoid

• ✕Don't treat "minors can cancel anything" as a plan. The exceptions are wide.
• ✕Don't share an account password to split a subscription. You own the charges.

Remember

• Abuse can be texts, threats, control, or stalking, not only hitting.
• A protective order can tell someone to stay away from you.
• Rules vary by state on whether a teen can ask for one alone.

What to do

1. 1.Save dated screenshots and keep a short log of each incident.
2. 2.Make a safety plan with an advocate from love is respect.
3. 3.If you get an order, carry a copy and tell your school.

Avoid

• ✕Don't change passwords from a device your partner has touched.
• ✕Don't treat an order as a guarantee. Keep your safety plan too.
• ✕Don't let small violations slide. Report each one.

Remember

• Paying or sending more rarely stops the threats.
• The person threatening you is the one committing the crime.
• Many blackmailers use fake accounts and stolen photos, often from abroad.

What to do

1. 1.Screenshot the username and every demand before you do anything else.
2. 2.Report the account inside the app, then block it.
3. 3.File a report at report.cybertip.org with a trusted adult tonight.

Avoid

• ✕Don't delete your profile or the messages. They help investigators.
• ✕Don't answer new accounts that repeat the threats. Screenshot them instead.
• ✕Don't send or download a copy of the image to report it.

Remember

• Leaving home is not a federal crime, but rules vary by state.
• Many youth shelters take teens under 18 for up to 21 days.
• Shelters must reach family within 72 hours, unless that is unsafe for you.

What to do

1. 1.Text SAFE and your city or ZIP to 44357 to find a Safe Place.
2. 2.Or call 1-800-786-2929 to plan where to go, before or after leaving.
3. 3.If someone at home hurts you, tell shelter staff right at the start.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait until midnight to plan. Call the Safeline before you leave.
• ✕Don't assume a shelter will just send you straight home.
• ✕Don't give up if one shelter is full. Ask the Safeline for another.

Remember

• You don't need proof. Reports are based on what you saw or heard.
• Teachers and counselors must report abuse, so ask about that first.
• A report usually leads to interviews and a safety check, not removal.

What to do

1. 1.Ask first: "Is there anything I say that you'd have to report?"
2. 2.Write down what happened, when it happened, and who was there.
3. 3.Tell a school counselor, or call Childhelp and ask for your state's line.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait until you're sure. A reasonable suspicion is enough to report.
• ✕Don't think an unconfirmed report means anyone decided you lied.
• ✕Don't feel you must give your name. Most hotlines take anonymous reports.

Remember

• Schools usually release you only to adults on the emergency contact list.
• A plan made early works for any family emergency, not only immigration.
• Rules vary by state for papers that let another adult care for you.

What to do

1. 1.Memorize two adult phone numbers and keep them on paper in your bag.
2. 2.Check that your school's emergency list names more than one trusted adult.
3. 3.Know where copies of family documents are kept and who can reach them.

Avoid

• ✕Don't rely on numbers saved only in a phone that might be locked.
• ✕Don't use an online template for caregiver papers. Ask legal aid instead.
• ✕Don't put original documents in the plan folder. Use copies.

Remember

• Miranda warnings come before questioning in custody, not always at arrest.
• A missing warning does not make a case go away.
• Rules vary by state on when police must contact your parents.

What to do

1. 1.If your family can't pay, say: "I can't afford a lawyer. I want one."
2. 2.If handed a form giving up your rights, say you want a lawyer first.
3. 3.Later, write down who questioned you, when, and what was said.

Avoid

• ✕Don't fill silences. Things you say on your own can be used too.
• ✕Don't give up a lawyer because it sounds faster or informal.
• ✕Don't sign any written statement until a lawyer has read it.

Remember

• You have the right to a lawyer, even at intake before court.
• Juvenile court uses different words: petition, adjudication, and disposition.
• A judge, not a jury, usually decides a juvenile case.

What to do

1. 1.Ask the court early for an appointed lawyer if your family can't pay.
2. 2.Bring school, work, or counseling records. The judge may consider them.
3. 3.Ask your lawyer to explain every choice before you agree to it.

Avoid

• ✕Don't accept diversion terms on the spot without a lawyer's advice.
• ✕Don't treat diversion as a formality. It usually means accepting responsibility.
• ✕Don't skip your hearing date. Tell your lawyer early if you can't attend.

Remember

• Store guards are private employees, not police officers.
• Many states let stores hold you briefly and reasonably to investigate.
• A guard generally can't make you sign, pay, or hand over your phone.

What to do

1. 1.Stay calm and ask: "Can I call my parent or guardian?"
2. 2.If police arrive, the situation changes. Use your police-stop rights.
3. 3.That day, write who stopped you, for how long, and what they searched.

Avoid

• ✕Don't run, push, or argue with the guard.
• ✕Don't sign any admission without a parent, guardian, or lawyer.
• ✕Don't pay or ignore a later demand letter. Show it to legal aid.

Remember

• A juvenile record often does not disappear on its own at 18.
• Sealing hides a record from the public. Expunging destroys or erases it.
• Rules vary by state on what can be cleared and when.

What to do

1. 1.Ask the court clerk what records exist and whether they are sealed.
2. 2.Ask whether sealing is automatic or needs a petition you must file.
3. 3.Get help from your old lawyer or a free record-clearing program.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait for a job application. Petitions and hearings can take weeks.
• ✕Don't assume sealing reaches police, school, and background-check files.
• ✕Don't ignore a background check that shows a sealed record. You can dispute it.

Remember

• The right not to incriminate yourself belongs to witnesses too.
• Being a witness can shift to being a suspect without any warning.
• A subpoena is a court order, not an invitation.

What to do

1. 1.Say: "I want to help, and I want a parent here first."
2. 2.Got a subpoena? Tell a parent and talk to a lawyer before the date.
3. 3.If the date is impossible, contact the listed clerk or attorney right away.

Avoid

• ✕Don't ignore a subpoena. That can lead to contempt of court.
• ✕Don't delete or change anything a subpoena asks for.
• ✕Don't try to guess mid-conversation whether you're a witness or a suspect.

Remember

• You can go to public school no matter your immigration status.
• A school cannot require a Social Security number to enroll you.
• Schools can ask where you live, but not about your status.

What to do

1. 1.If a form asks about status, ask the office if it is required.
2. 2.If enrollment is delayed, ask in writing for the specific reason.
3. 3.Bring the written answer to a trusted adult or legal aid group.

Avoid

• ✕Don't assume a missing birth certificate means you cannot enroll.
• ✕Don't make up documents or give false answers on school forms.
• ✕Don't sign a form you don't understand; ask for it in your language.

Remember

• Your parents can see your school records, and so can you at 18.
• A school must let you inspect records within 45 days of a request.
• You can ask the school to fix a record that is wrong.

What to do

1. 1.Write a request asking to see "the complete education record."
2. 2.Mark anything inaccurate or misleading and ask in writing to amend it.
3. 3.If the school refuses, ask for a hearing or add your own statement.

Avoid

• ✕Don't wait until college applications to look at your file.
• ✕Don't rely on a spoken request; keep a copy of what you sent.
• ✕Don't assume a wrong entry must stay unexplained forever.

Remember

• Parents can usually see your health records, but there are exceptions.
• You may control the record for care you legally consented to alone.
• Rules vary by state on which care a teen can get alone.

What to do

1. 1.Before the visit, ask: "Who will be able to see today's notes?"
2. 2.Ask the office to call your own phone instead of the home number.
3. 3.If you are not safe at home, tell the provider privately.

Avoid

• ✕Don't skip care you need because of privacy worries; ask first.
• ✕Don't assume what a friend was told applies in your state.
• ✕Don't give a fake name or birthday at the front desk.

Remember

• Many states let you preregister to vote at 16 or 17.
• A preregistration becomes active on its own when you turn 18.
• Some states let some 17-year-olds vote in primaries; rules vary by state.

What to do

1. 1.Go to vote.gov and pick your state to see its age rules.
2. 2.Check whether getting your license or state ID already registered you.
3. 3.Mark your 18th birthday and the next election date on your calendar.

Avoid

• ✕Don't use lookalike sites; the official registration process is free.
• ✕Don't try to vote before your state says you are eligible.
• ✕Don't think civic life starts at 18; public comment has no age limit.

Remember

• Many school boards set aside time for public comment at meetings.
• Boards can limit how long you speak, and rules vary by state.
• Once a board opens comment, it cannot shut you out for who you are.

What to do

1. 1.Find your district's board policy and read how to sign up to speak.
2. 2.Write about 250 words: your name, school, one request, one fact.
3. 3.Hand a printed copy to the board clerk so it enters the record.

Avoid

• ✕Don't go over your time; practice out loud with a timer first.
• ✕Don't name or criticize individual students in your comment.
• ✕Don't expect a vote that night; a comment starts a conversation.

Remember

• Workers' compensation can pay for medical care and some lost wages.
• It usually does not matter whose fault the accident was.
• Your employer cannot punish you for reporting an injury.

What to do

1. 1.Get medical care first, even if the injury seems small.
2. 2.Tell your supervisor in writing with the date, time, and what happened.
3. 3.Keep a copy and tell a parent or trusted adult the same day.

Avoid

• ✕Don't hide an injury because you think it was your fault.
• ✕Don't wait; an OSHA retaliation complaint has a 30-day deadline.
• ✕Don't sign papers about the injury until an adult reads them.

Remember

• Harassment can come from a manager, a co-worker, or a customer.
• Unwelcome behavior that is severe or keeps happening can be illegal.
• Your employer cannot punish you for reporting harassment.

What to do

1. 1.If you feel safe, say clearly that the behavior is unwelcome.
2. 2.Report in writing to the person your harassment policy names.
3. 3.Save screenshots and a copy of your report, then tell a trusted adult.

Avoid

• ✕Don't delete texts or messages, even ones that embarrass you.
• ✕If the policy names the harasser, report to another manager instead.
• ✕Don't wait too long; EEOC charges generally have a 180-day deadline.

Remember

• In juvenile court, you have a right to a lawyer, free if needed.
• What you tell your lawyer is private, and that privilege belongs to you.
• A lawyer can only plan around the facts they know about.

What to do

1. 1.Bring every paper about the problem and a timeline with dates.
2. 2.Write your questions first: "What happens next, and when is my next date?"
3. 3.Before leaving, write down the lawyer's name, number, and next court date.

Avoid

• ✕Don't leave out the bad parts; your lawyer needs the whole story.
• ✕Don't assume a parent in the room keeps everything private; ask first.
• ✕Don't post about your case online without asking your lawyer.

Remember

• Courts that get federal money must help people with limited English be heard.
• Schools must take real steps to help English learners understand lessons.
• Families can ask for important school notices in their home language.

What to do

1. 1.Call the court clerk early, name the language, and give the case number.
2. 2.At school, ask the English-learner coordinator for interpretation at meetings.
3. 3.If you are told no, write down the date and the person's name.

Avoid

• ✕Don't let a child interpret for a parent in a court hearing.
• ✕Don't wait until you arrive; ask when the meeting is scheduled.
• ✕Don't sign papers you can't read; ask for them to be interpreted.